Trained or Transformed: Identifying Self In The Spiritual Landscape

ISBN-13: 9781522992141 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 154 str.

Joyce Davies Jones

Opis

We humans are born with a default mode of operation. This default mode with which we are born is the product of a broken relationship with God brought about by sin. And though the outworking of that default mode will look different from person to person, the objective is always the same. The default mode of every human - the self-will - is intent upon gaining identity, significance and meaning. Towards that end, this "self" will seek to promote, protect and provide for itself. New birth in Christ introduces a new alternative to the old default mode. The subsequent spiritual growth which follows new birth in Christ, should progressively program the new Christ-life into the believer's heart. Gradually, the new life in Christ should overtake the old default mode of operation. But, something can happen along the journey of spiritual growth. The old default mode of thinking and reasoning can begin to govern the new life of Christ. In other words, it is possible to strive to live the new life in Christ according to the objectives of the old default mode. To make matters worse, many sincere Christians are caught in this practice and are unaware of it. The result of living out new-nature practices in the old default mode of protecting, providing for and promoting self can produce impressive spiritual training, but it will not produce genuine transformation into Christ-likeness. Trained or Transformed distinguishes between spiritual training and true transformation and offers clear direction to enable the sincere Christian to recognize when spiritual training is masquerading as transformation. It examines why the old sin nature has great use for spiritual - even biblical - training. It defines the old nature and new nature modes and suggests seven prayers to help Christians recognize when the old nature is seeking to manage the new life in Christ.